Microsoft gaming keyboard has swappable number pad

Numeric keypads make welcome additions to modern keyboards for tasks like filling in Excel spreadsheets, but they tend to get in the way of heated frag-fests in multiplayer shooters. As Engadget reports, Microsoft has attempted to get around the problem with its latest gaming keyboard.

The SideWinder X6 features a detachable numeric keypad, which users can slap on either side of the keyboard depending on their needs. In games, users can turn the numeric keypad into a "programmable macro pad" that can remember as many as 90 macros per title. The SideWinder X6 also has little extras like a "Cruise Control" mode (presumably for long World of Warcraft sessions) as well as color-adjustable backlit keys.

Microsoft is complementing the SideWinder X6 keyboard with a new SideWinder X5 mouse, which features a matching angular design, nine buttons, adjustable sensitivity up to 2,000 DPI, and a "Quick-Launch button that instantly launches the Windows Vista Games Explorer." Both this mouse and the new keyboard will become available in September with respective price tags of $59.95 and $79.95.